Concrete-mixer.



' LPATENTEDJAN. 24, 1905.

R. Z. SNELL.

CONCRETE MIXER.

Y APPLIOAITIQH FILED 23.16. 1904.

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APPLUATION FILED APIE. 16, 1904.

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7i/ $55. HIM! UNITI UNITED STATES Patented January 24, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

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SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 780,827, dated January 24.-, 1905.

Application iiled April 16, 1904. Serial No. 203,488.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it lrnown that I, RANsoM Z. SNELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at South Bend, in the county of St. Joseph and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful` Improvements in Concrete-Mixers; and I do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, andexact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to mixers for concrete, and has for its object to provide an improved apparatus of this character in which is involved a revoluble mixing drum or pan the bottom and sides of which are normally disposed at an angle to the horizontal while the material is being mixed, and means are provided for adjusting the mixing-pan and holding it at different inclinations relatively to the iioor and its support, the same being adapted to be raised toa true perpendicular position for discharging the contents.

This invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of the apparatus, showing in dotted lines the positions of the parts when the contents of the mixing-pan are to be discharged therefrom. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the apparatus. Fig. 3 is a detail view in section of one of the bearings for the mixing-pan, taken on the line @a of Fig. 4; and Fig. 4 is a fragmental view in elevation of one side of the apparatus.

Making renewed reference to the drawings, wherein similar characters of notation indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views, 1 designates a stationary supporting-frame, from the base 2 lof which rise front and rear standards 3 and 4, respectively. The front standards 3 are shorterY than therear standards, and the upper ends of both are connected by cross-bars 5, `which form a forwardly-inclined stationary frame on which the mixing-pan and its frame mayV rest.

6 designates a swinging rectangular frame which normally rests on the inclined stationary frame. To the side pieces of this frame and at the lower front ends' thereof are supporting-arms 7, which project from the frame ment of the swinging frame.

in the direction of its length and have their outer ends formed with trunnions 8, which are journaled in suitable bearings-9 on the base 2. With these trunnions as pivots the frame 6 may be manually swung forwardly from its seat 5 to a more or less perpendicular position for discharging the contents from the mixing-pan carried thereby, as shown in dotted linesin Fig. l.

The mixing pan or drum l0 is preferably cylindrical, with an open upper end and a flat bottom which is always parallel with the swinging frame in which the pan is mounted, and when seated on the stationary inclined frame it is of course parallel with the latter, the inclined stationary frame serving, however, as a'stop to limit the downward move- With the mixing-pan and its swinging frame seated on the stationary inclined frame and rotary movement imparted to the mixing-pan the material therein will be thoroughly mixed by virtue of the same clinging to the side walls and bottom of the pan and being carried partially around therewith, but dropping of from the same as it is carried upward, and as it falls back into the mass at the bottom the cement or mortar is effectually broken up and rapidly mixed. The mixing-pan is provided near the lower edge with a geared peripheral flange l0, the side of the pan extending slightly below, as well as above, said flange, and the latter is confined within a recess or groove 1l of the swinging frame, the groove being of such contour as to conform to the periphery of the geared iiange and serving as a guide for the panin its rotation, as well as preventing the same from being separated from the swinging frame. The inner edges of the side pieces of the swinging frame are slightly cut away, as at 11, at diametrically opposite points, thereby decreasing the probable bearing-surface for the pan, and at the ends of these cut-- away portions are tted suitable ball-bearings 12, there preferably being Aone ball on each side of the recess l1, whereby the balls are arranged in pairs and spaced apart, so as to bear against the sides and flange of the pan at diiferent points, there preferably being two pairs of balls,in each side of the swinging frame and in the bottom or front thereof'. By this arrangement the pan, tending to drop by its weight and the weight of the mortar, will be 'engaged by the two lower pairs ofl ball-bearings and the bearings in the side pieces will take up lateral vibration or gyrations. The sides of the pan above and below the iiange are curved slightly, as at 12 in Fig. 3,' to conform to the shape of the balls, whereby an increasing bearing-surface is provided and a steady motion maintained, the sides of the pan, as well as the flange thereof, bearing against the balls.

Rotary motion is imparted to the mixingpan by means of a pinion 13, journaled in bearings 14 in the front edge of the frame 6, the front bar of which is slotted, as at 15, to permit the pinion to engage the teeth of the geared flange 10u. To the shaft of the pinion is secured a flexible shaft 16, with its outer end attached to the shaft 17 of` a pulley 18, that is journaled in a suitable bearing 19.

From the description thus far given it will be seen that the mixing pan is revolubly mounted in the swinging frame 6 and that its driving means are never disconnected, inasmuch as the pinion and the geared flange are carried by the swinging frame and always in engagement, and by virtue of' the flexible shaf'ting 16 the frame, with the pan, may be moved without disconnecting the parts, thereby permitting the pan to be rotated when in a perpendicular position as well as when seated on the inclined frame, it being understood that the pulley 18 is driven by a beltin the usual manner.

Means are provided for guiding and limiting the swinging movement of the frame and the pan and for also holding them in different angular positions relatively to the stationary frame and floor, thereby increasing or decreasing the time of mixing f'or different qualities and quantities of' material as may be required. This is accomplished by means of a curved guide-arm 20, secured at one end to the stationary frame and provided with a slot 21, in which slides a threaded shank 22, which is carried by the swinging frame and on the end of which is a thumb-nut 23, adapted to bind the guide-arm to the side of the swinging frame. The slot 21 is closed at the free end of the arm, so as to limit the forward movement of' the swinging frame and pan. By this arrangement it will be seen that the swinging frame and pan will be held at any angle with relation to the inclined stationary frame and the greater the inclination toward the vertical the more rapidly will be the mixing of' the material, since the particles clinging to the sid es of the pan and carried upwardly thereby will fall therefrom sooner and drop into the mass at the bottom, while the reverse will be true if the pan is adjusted to a more horizontal position.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A mixer for concrete and other substances comprising a stationary inclined frame, a swinging frame arranged to be seated upon the stationary frame, a mixing-pan jou rnaled in and carried by the swinging frame with its bottom more or less Hush with the bottom of the swinging frame and havinga geared iiange engaged within said swinging frame, a driving -pinion journaled in the swinging frame and in engagement with the geared flange of the pan, and flexibledriving connections for the driving-pinion, whereby the pan may be rotated when disposed at different inclinations with respect to the stationary frame.

2. A mixer for concrete and other substances comprising a stationary inclined frame, a swinging frame arranged to be seated upon the stationary frame, a revoluble mixing-pan journaled in and carried by the swinging frame and having a geared flange, a driving-pinion journaled in the swinging frame and constantly held in engagement with the geared flange of' the pan, a flexible shafting connected with the driving-pinion, and means for holding the swinging frame and pan at dillerent inclinations with relation to the stationary frame. I

3. A mixer for concrete and other substances comprising a stationary inclined frame, a swinging frame pivoted to said stationary frame, a mixing-pan having a geared flange, bearing in the swinging frame to engage the sides of the pan and the geared flange thereof, a driving-pinion carried by the swinging frame and maintained in engagement with the geared liange, and a flexible shafting connected with the driving-pinion, substantially as specified.

4. In a mixer for concrete and other substances, the combination of' a stationary inclined frame, a swinging frame normally seated on the stationary frame and having grooves, a mixing-pan having a geared peripheral flange which projects into the grooves of the frame, bearings in said swinging frame in engagement with the side of' the pan and the geared flange thereof, driving means carried by the swinging frame and in engagement with the geared flange of' the pan, means for imparting rotary movement to said driving means, and means whereby the swinging frame with the pan may be held at different inclinations with respect to the stationary frame.

5. A mixer for concrete and other substances comprising a base, a stationary inclined frame supported on said base, a swinging frame adapted to seat upon said inclined frame and having trunnions journaled in the base thereof', a cylindrical mixing-pan having a flat bottom normally disposed parallel with the inclined stationary frame and also provided with a geared flange, bearings in the swinging frame IOC IIO

in engagement with the sides of the pan and for binding the arm to the swinging frame, IO the geared flange thereof, a driving-pinion substantially as specified. journaled in the swinging frame and in engageln testimony whereof I aiiix my signature in -renwfith the geareddflangle gf ghe pan, a iieXipresence of two witnesses.

5 es a tingeonnecte wit t e riVing-pinion,

a slotted arm secured to the stationary frame, RANSOM Z', SNELL a threaded shank secured to the swinging Witnesses: frame and extending through the slot of the GEoRGE OLTSOH, arm, and a thumb-nut on the threaded shank ORALE W. HESS. i 

